.
free virus scan

How to Outlook

May 24, 2011

How The Blue Screen of Death Got Its Nickname History Unfolds

Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is a name that all the Windows PC users fear of and would do their best to keep it off their system. For people who have little or no idea about BSOD, it is a STOP error screen with a blue background adorned with white text codes explaining error details. The error befalls when Windows operating system (OS) encounters a fatal issue that it can't recover from and starts shutting down.

Are you thinking why one should be afraid of the BSOD error? The reason is that when the problem erupts, Windows suddenly starts shutting down to prevent itself from further damage. So if you are in the middle of finishing an important office work (which you were just about to complete) or downloading/uploading anything or whatever work you were doing on your computer will be lost without even giving you a chance to save it.

What lies in a Name?

Like most of the people, I have always wondered how the BSOD error came into existence and where it got its name from. Nothing lies in a name but still everything lies in the name as it is the primary introduction to a thing. Well, I think that these technical tidbits help you know more about your company (any company). I researched a lot on the concept of BSOD error and went through several websites; see what have I come up with.

Origin of the BSOD Error

The BSOD made its first appearance in the year 1987 during the beta testing of IBM "Operating System/2 (OS/2) developed at Lattice, Incorporate; the developer of early OS/2 and Windows compilers. The STOP error screen struck the OS/2 when developers were porting other tools from Lattice, Inc. via internet. The reason behind the error appeared to be the bugs (it means defects or flaws in more technical term) in the OS/2's software. While giving the error description to IBM (informally known as 'Big Blue' then), the Lattice, Inc. developers named the error as 'Blue Screen of Death' associating its color with IBM's and a dead screen appearance that just didn't move away without rebooting.

Another story is that the BSOD error was originally a 'Black Screen of Death' (as some people say) instead of 'Blue Screen of Death'. The term BSOD was originally given its name by Ed Brown in the mid-1991. Ed Brown was then an IT technician with Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta in Georgia, US. Ed Brown reported that the error struck when the company implemented Windows 3.0 (OS) in the Global Marketing Group, and users when trying to run 'WordPerfect' would randomly get BISOD error screen. The error would display an entirely black screen with a cursor flashing at the top left hand corner. This would happen when a user tried to run a DOS application and eventually got stuck with the BSOD error. The system had no escape from the BSOD error until it was rebooted.

Error Horror

The BSOD error has certainly succeeded in dreading users with whatever color it appears in. Even Bill Gates, the founder of giant Microsoft Corp., had no escape from the BSOD error during the beta release of Windows 98 at Computer Dealer's Exhibition (COMDEX) in Las Vegas in April, 1998. The demo Windows 98-based system crashed when an assistant tried connecting it to a scanner to display the OS' compatibility with Plug & Play devices.

Well, don't panic (you don't have as there is a solution for everything in this world), just relax and if the error occurs to your system, then shut it down and reboot properly. Sometimes, a simple reboot resolves the problem. If it appears to be of no help, then try to pen down the error details and search the knowledge base on Google, Bing among other search engines to find out the solution. I would recommend that you better consult an expert to save time and money. The online technical support services are the best option to get value for both time and money as they don't need you to lug your computer to some place, they just fix the problem online unless there is a hardware problem.

0 comments

Post a Comment

Comprehensive Support